


Tastes of Home

by ttacticianmagician



Series: Claudeleth Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Claudeleth Week (Fire Emblem), F/M, Fluff, Food, Humor, brief hand holding and kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25434817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttacticianmagician/pseuds/ttacticianmagician
Summary: "How could you say such a thing?!" Hilda exclaimed while slamming her hands on the table. "Don't your parents love you?!""Well, my grandfather's way too busy with his obligations to spend time in the kitchen. And I can't even imagine what he would make there." Claude ruminated on that hypothetical scene. "Probably something only old people would enjoy. Like gingersnap cookies?""Hold on! I like gingersnap cookies!" Lorenz piped up indignantly."Even if your grandfather can't make anything, he can still buy stuff to send to you!" Hilda continued her objections. "As the archduke, he definitely has enough money for that.""Yeesh. I don't want to think about what he thinks I want." Claude rolled his eyes. "I can just picture him sending me something boring like a whetstone. 'To keep your tongue sharp, so you don't have to sharpen your blade!'"---Claude doesn't get care packages from his family like the rest of the Golden Deer. Byleth finds that incredibly sad and seeks to remedy that.For Claudeleth Week Day 1: Comfort
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Series: Claudeleth Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842265
Comments: 11
Kudos: 115





	Tastes of Home

**Author's Note:**

> Shows up a few days late to the party with a fic that was supposed to be short like eyyy. This one only vaguely touches upon the prompt, since my mind went from comfort to comfort food to care packages? But by the time I was having doubts I was already too far into this monster.
> 
> I'll try my best to complete all the prompts but since it apparently takes me a few days to write a single oneshot, I might not finish everything in a week. I hope you enjoy this fic and what I have coming down the pipeline anyway~

It all started with a box of cookies.

Granted, it was a really big box of cookies, one that Raphael considered using for weight training when he was done with it. But for now, it was filled with homemade delicacies such as shortbread with an almond pressed into their middles, crunchy peanut brittles, and extra chunky oatmeal raisin cookies. He brought the heavy package into class one day, declaring its presence with a loud thump and an even louder question.

"Who wants some of my sister's cookies?!"

All eyes turned to Raphael and his box of treats. Some of his classmates, like Lysithea and Hilda, pounced on his offer immediately. Other people, like Byleth, only helped themselves to a cookie once there wasn't a commotion around the box. The professor of the Golden Deer had gotten used to prolonged breaks in between classes because of interruptions like this, so she might as well make the most of it by nibbling on her cookie thoughtfully.

The only student who hadn't taken a cookie was Claude. He hung back and regarded Raphael's box with easygoing suspicion.

"I never thought I would hear  _ you _ sharing your food." He chuckled.

"Yeah, I know, it's kinda weird for me too." Raphael laughed back. "But my sister made way too many cookies for one person, even if that person is me! Besides, if I eat them all, I would just be gaining weight instead of muscles!"

Claude's smile faded by an imperceptible amount. "Why would your sister send you cookies though?"

"Why not? Don't you get care packages from your family too?"

A beat of silence fell over the classroom. After the Golden Deer's first couple of attempts to pry into Claude's family matters, they vowed never to ask him those sorts of questions again. Not only did Claude deflect any inquiries and refused to give a straight answer, any curious person would also open themselves up to his probing. Unfortunately, that pact was made a while ago, which meant that Raphael had all but forgotten about it while he strived to keep the conversation going.

"Care packages, huh…?" Claude murmured to himself before wiping away that doubt with a friendly smile. "Can't say I've ever gotten them. It's probably too much of a bother for my family."

Another moment of silence passed. Now that Byleth thought about it, Claude never shared anything he got from home with the rest of the class. The act of dispensing extra snacks from care packages had become quite a tradition among the Golden Deer, and through these impromptu feasts, Byleth discovered a bit more about her students. She learned that Leonie's village sent her dried meat on a consistent basis, Lysithea's parents supplied her with an extraordinary amount of sweets, and Lorenz's parents gave him the finest teas, undoubtedly to impress other nobles with. Raphael's sister, the passionate baker she was, mailed him large boxes like these to satiate his sweet tooth. And all this sharing wasn't confined to just food items. Ignatz occasionally handed out trinkets from all over Fodlan and beyond, courtesy of his merchant family. Hilda crafted accessories for everyone from beads and things she got from her brother. Really, only Marianne was almost as elusive about her care packages as Claude. She was only above him on that regard because, on the rare occasion, she pawned off random items she got from her adoptive father onto others, claiming she didn't need them.

Claude always accepted gifts from his classmates with ease and a thankful smile, but he never gave any out himself. And somehow, Byleth never noticed this until now. She would've thought of him as a selfish man that hoarded all treats to himself if he didn't just admit that he never got care packages before.

Was that really true? Byleth never got care packages like her students, although that was because she had always been by her father's side. Even now, Jeralt was only a short walk away whenever he wasn’t on a mission, and he still found time to spoil his only daughter once in a while. To receive nothing at all from his family… Byleth couldn't help but feel sorry for Claude. Maybe there was more to the story though. She quietly pushed off the class that she was supposed to start several minutes ago to listen in.

"How could you say such a thing?!" Hilda exclaimed while slamming her hands on the table. "Don't your parents love you?!"

"Well, my grandfather's way too busy with his obligations to spend time in the kitchen. And I can't even imagine what he would make there." Claude ruminated on that hypothetical scene. "Probably something only old people would enjoy. Like gingersnap cookies?"

"Hold on! I like gingersnap cookies!" Lorenz piped up indignantly.

"Even if your grandfather can't make anything, he can still buy stuff to send to you!" Hilda continued her objections. "As the archduke, he definitely has enough money for that."

"Yeesh. I don't want to think about what he thinks I want." Claude rolled his eyes. "I can just picture him sending me something boring like a whetstone. 'To keep your tongue sharp, so you don't have to sharpen your blade!'"

He said his last line in an old man voice that made several people snicker. Lorenz looked flabbergasted that Claude would make fun of the head of House Riegan like this. Leonie, meanwhile, squinted at Claude with crumbs still on her face.

"So your grandfather doesn't know what kind of treats you like? At all?"

"Fraid not. He's not the doting kind of grandfather, in case you couldn't tell."

"But he's still your grandfather! And you're his only grandson, right? He couldn't have just ignored you throughout your entire childhood! He must know  _ something _ you liked back then, something to give you as a little pick-me-up now and then."

"Or he can send you things that remind you of Derdriu." Ignatz spoke up after Leonie. "In case you're feeling homesick."

"Yeah, like those awesome seaweed cakes!" Raphael spat out crumbs as he chimed in. "They're tasty and healthy! What a snack!"

"Seaweed cakes?" Claude wrinkled his nose at the notion. "Who would put seaweed into desserts?"

"Uh, people from Derdriu? Like you?" Lysithea shot him a puzzled stare. "I'm surprised you never heard of one of the Aquatic Capital's local delicacies. I'm from the other side of the Alliance and even I've heard of it."

"Lysithea, not everyone is a fanatic for sweets like you." Lorenz rolled his eyes.

The purple-haired noble would've gotten assaulted for that comment if Claude didn't interrupt Lysithea. "Look, I never said that-"

He swallowed his haughty sentence in order to start again in a calmer tone. "I never said that my grandfather didn't care about me. He just doesn't send me snacks like you guys, and that's fine by me. The letters I get from him are enough food for thought."

Byleth watched on with continued interest. It was rare for Claude to get so flustered, he would break his nonchalant character to correct others in a straightforward manner. Did this mean that his classmates were hitting a point uncomfortably close to home? 

Unfortunately for him, his words weren’t good enough to dissuade his classmates from the topic. “Eugh. Letters are boring. I should know that from my brother.” Hilda grumbled. “Wouldn’t you rather get goodies instead?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t love food?” Claude flashed a smile that brushed away any traces of his frustration. “But I’m not like a kid who’s going to bug his grandfather for treats. I have enough of an allowance to buy my own.”

“Claude, you do know that there’s a difference between buying something for yourself and having it gifted to you. Right?” Lysithea raised an eyebrow.

“And, as I was about to say, I bet my grandfather just forgot he was ‘supposed’ to send a care package. He's an old man, after all. It’s probably been a while since  _ his _ parents gave him something.”

“I doubt that a man of Duke Riegan’s acuity simply ‘forgot’ something so important…” Lorenz mumbled to himself.

“So if you aren’t getting anything from your grandpa, that means you gotta take more from us! Here!” Raphael shoved the remainder of his cookies onto Claude’s desk.

The Golden Deer leader baulked at all the desserts in front of him. “Hey, I appreciate the sentiment, but if this is too much for you, then it’s definitely way too much for me!”

“Oh, I guess you’re right.” Raphael glanced down at the pile of confections apologetically. “But you gotta take a bigger share next time, you hear?”

“Yeah! I’ll let you help yourself to any of my care packages too!” Leonie added eagerly. “As long as you don’t take everything, that is.”

“Same here.” Ignatz piped up. “Everyone deserves a little taste of home, even though it’s not actually from your home.”

The remaining Golden Deer, Hilda, Lysithea, and even Marianne, agreed with their classmates. After a pause, Lorenz eventually chimed in with his own concurrence. Byleth would have joined in too if she got care packages on a regular basis like the rest of them.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t give Claude anything. The fact that he didn’t get anything from his grandfather besides letters still nagged her. And judging from his less-than-enthusiastic expression, they weren’t the affectionate kind of letters. Sure, his grandfather may be the most powerful man of the Leicester Alliance, but he could afford treating his grandson and future heir better than that. 

The problem was that she knew less about what Claude liked than his grandfather. Byleth had only been his professor for a couple of months, after all. She supposed that the best way to find out what kind of treats he liked was to just ask him directly.

“Claude? May I speak to you?” She called out to him after class.

The singled-out man sauntered over with a charming smile like always. “Yeah? What’s up?”

Byleth felt her mouth going dry. She was suddenly acutely aware of how inappropriate this question was, from a teacher to a student. She was under no obligation to act in his family's stead. She really had no business prying into his personal life like this. Worse, Claude was probably going to twist her words in a way that would embarrass her.

But she wanted Claude to feel just as loved as his classmates. Whenever someone brought in a care package, she didn’t want to see that forlorn expression of his any longer. So she said what she set out to say, consequences be damned.

“If… If you were to get a care package from someone, what would you want it to contain?”

That question took Claude off guard. He took a step back and widened his eyes in shock. It wasn’t much of a reaction, but coming from Claude, it said a lot. It also kind of amused Byleth, but he regained his composure too soon.

“You’re still hung up on that, huh? Color me surprised.” He let out a good natured laugh. “Truthfully, there’s lots of things I’d want in a care package, but I would gladly accept an A on the next exam.”

“I never said that I was the one giving you anything.” Byleth narrowed her eyes.

“Oh yeah? You’re asking just for kicks and giggles then?”

She refused to answer that, not wanting to say anything that would betray her true intentions. Unlike the Golden Deer house leader in front of her, she didn’t like telling white lies.

Claude took her silence as a ‘no’ and ran with it. “Seriously, Teach. You don’t have to concern yourself with what my grandfather does and doesn’t do. I’m perfectly fine with mooching off the rest of my classmates' generosity.”

As anticipated, this infuriating person either dodged her question or answered with an unhelpful joke. Honestly, she didn’t know why he had to keep so many secrets about so many trivialities like this. They were just talking about food. She wasn’t asking for his entire life story. She just wanted to know what he would like in the ideal care package.

At this point, she might as well cut straight to the matter. “But you must have a favorite snack of some sort. Or something your mother makes for you. I know you’re not completely heartless. Something must bring back memories of home for you.”

She realized too late that she shouldn’t have said that. The look that briefly crossed Claude’s face could be described as many emotions, none of which were positive. The message they broadcasted was plain and clear, however. He was lonely. No treats would make up for the distance, metaphorical or literal, between him and the place he called home. 

She found herself wishing that she could take back her words, but they already left her tongue. She had to accept whatever came to pass. Besides, Claude had a response for her before she could ponder on that more. “Wow. You’re really eager to learn more about me, huh?”

Byleth paused, considering her next answer carefully. “I must apologize for my bluntness. I’m not forcing you to say anything if you don’t want to. If this topic is too personal, then we can end our discussion here.”

“Nah, it’s alright. I feel like I should reward such aching curiosity with something.” Claude glanced off to the side as he thought of what to say. Byleth was afraid that he was constructing another lie that would throw her off his scent, but he replied back quickly enough.

“As you might’ve guessed from our countless shared meals, I’m not picky about what I eat. But if you’re looking for something that I find nostalgic… Well, I like saffron and raisin cookies.”

“Saffron?” Byleth asked without thinking. She never heard of such a thing.

“And raisin. Don’t forget the raisins.” Claude winked.

“But what’s saffron?”

Now that they were knee-deep in this line of discussion, Claude answered a lot more readily than before. “It’s a spice that comes from a flower that doesn’t grow around here, so it’s very hard to find. When you use it as an ingredient for baked goods like cookies, it turns the whole thing yellow. In fact, other places use saffron to dye clothes yellow too. Neat, right?”

Byleth did find that interesting, but it wasn’t exactly helpful to her right now. If this thing was rare, then places that sell cookies made with this thing would be even rarer. And undoubtedly expensive. She couldn’t blow all of her budget just for one student. She considered asking him for a different kind of food that could be included in a hypothetical care package, but that look in his eye made her think otherwise. He was not only looking at her expectedly, almost hopefully, but also in a challenging sort of manner. Like he was testing her.

“How interesting.” She managed to say. “And this was a regular treat in your childhood home?”

“Hmmm, it wasn’t that regular. On the account of being a naughty kid.” Claude had a mischievous grin on his face as he shrugged.

“I can imagine that. But I meant that something with such a rare ingredient wouldn’t be baked often.”

“Did you forget who you’re talking to? My family has fingers in a lot of pies. It isn’t that much of an impossibility.”

“Even so…” Byleth’s eyes wandered back to Claude. Even if his house was the reigning house of the Leicester Alliance, she still didn’t find it plausible that he ate enough saffron cookies to consider it nostalgic. Plus, Claude rarely flaunted his family’s wealth before, so why now?

Claude hastily switched the subject before she could figure out the answer for herself. “Anyway, if you do find someone that can bake saffron and raisin cookies, would you mind letting me know? It would be real swell if I could find a regular supplier around here.”

“You sound like you’re looking to buy poison reagents instead of cookies.” Byleth mentioned. Was this the reason why he decided to open up and mention all this to her? So she could help him find these elusive treats? He really should have opened with this and saved her all the trouble.

“Hey! I solemnly swear that my motives are out of pure, human gluttony. This time.” Claude chuckled. 

Byleth remained unconvinced, but she was willing to let his shiftiness slide. This time. She had better things to deal with anyway, like taking Claude up on his implied challenge. She was perfectly aware that by fulfilling what Claude had tasked her, she was proving Claude right in that she did want to make a care package for him. But what else was she going to do with this knowledge that Claude imparted to her? Sit on it? Blackmail him with it? Trade secrets with someone else? Doing any of these would just make it harder for her to tease straight answers out of him in the future. On the other hand, if Byleth did manage to pull off the impossible, his bewildered face would be priceless. And who knows? Maybe these cookies would give him more motivation for classes and training.

At first, Byleth thought that getting saffron and raisin cookies would be easier than getting Claude to speak honestly. But she underestimated just how rare these delicacies were, and didn’t wisen up until she scoured the Garreg Mach marketplace from head to toe. Most merchants she spoke to haven’t even heard of saffron before. The few that did know of its existence didn’t have any of the spice to sell, much less cookies baked from it. The only person that could help Byleth was a friendly merchant with dark, fraying hair and tan, wrinkled skin. She set up her stall at the outskirts of the open air marketplace, far away from the general crowd. Byleth at first wondered why this woman peddled her goods all the way out here, and why she didn’t want to disclose where she or her wares were from. But when Byleth mentioned what she was looking for, her orange eyes lit up like the twinkling stars.

“Ah! Someone is missing home?” The merchant exclaimed with a strange accent.

“I suppose.” Byleth shifted her attention to the assortment of spices and food in front of her. “Are these cookies popular from where you come from?”

“Yes. Very much so.” When she smiled, she showcased some missing teeth. “Although saffron is only for the rich, you see. I make shirini keshmeshi for my children without it, and they still love them.”

Byleth blinked at the foriegn name used for the cookies. They really weren’t a specialty of anywhere in Fodlan, were they? Why would Claude’s mother bother making something so exotic for him? Unless…

She shook that thought from her head, determined to concentrate on the mission on hand. Despite the merchant’s awareness of the cookie, it didn’t look like she carried any of them herself. There were other treats in her stall, ranging from dried fruits to hard candies to chewy confections, as well as an array of spices both mundane and unfamiliar. Byleth never would have imagined goods from outside of Fodlan came in so many different colors and smells. If she was richer, she would’ve liked to try them all.

The merchant apparently felt a little more talkative after the topic of her homeland was brought up. “So who is the homesick child you are shopping for?”

“He’s a student of mine.” Byleth answered, scanning over some glass jars in the back of the stall. “He doesn’t get care packages from his family, so I’m making him one.”

“Ah! What a kind and beautiful teacher you are.”

Byleth didn’t react to the flattery. Such compliments wouldn’t help her if she couldn’t find what she was looking for. But since this merchant knew of the cookies she spoke of, she decided to give the matter one last try by asking her about them more directly. “So you don’t have any of those cookies to sell?”

“Sorry. No. They wouldn’t survive the journey here, you see.” The merchant shook her head apologetically. “Why not make your own?”

“Hm?” 

The merchant grabbed a small glass jar off of a shelf and placed it in her hands. Byleth stared incredulously at the red dried stems inside. There was hardly anything in there, and yet the price it commanded was exorbitant. She could buy several packages of tea or a nice silver weapon with this much gold.

There was another important fact that prevented her from buying it right away. “I don’t know how to use this.”

“Oh, it’s very easy.” The merchant smiled as she waved a hand. “I will tell you my recipe for shirini keshmeshi if you buy it.”

“Truely?” Byleth’s eyes flickered back up to the merchant.

“Yes. It would be good of you to not waste something so precious. And it would make this homesick child very happy, you see?”

Byleth pursed her lips as doubt still plagued her with indecision. She never baked with such an expensive ingredient before. The cost made a novice baker like her think dourly upon the many failed attempts she would surely have, even with a recipe on her side. On the other hand, the merchant said that she made cookies without saffron for her kids, so it can be done without breaking the bank. But would Claude enjoy them as much? If he noticed the lack of saffron, he might think she was cutting corners in her efforts to make him happy. Besides, his mother would pay any cost for her son, disregarding for a moment that she was apparently very wealthy…

It was time to put her haggling skills to the test. “1600 gold.” She announced, still hefting the jar of saffron in her hands.

“Too low.” The merchant sighed. “You know how hard it is to get it? 3500 gold is the lowest I can go.”

“1600 gold.” Byleth repeated. “And I’ll buy some other things from you.”

“For the homesick boy?” Byleth’s new offer caught the other woman’s attention, but she still refused to relent. “You will have to buy a lot of things.”

Byleth paused, unsure of how to proceed. She wasn’t looking to empty her wallet solely on this lady’s wares. Claude probably wouldn’t be able to eat out the entire stall anyway, no matter how homesick he was. Thinking about Claude gave her another idea though.

“The person I mentioned was asking after a supplier like you. I’ll put in a good word for you if you can sell me the saffron at a good price.”

“How will I know if this person will come?” The merchant narrowed her eyes.

“He will.” Byleth responded confidently. “He is also very rich. Think of how much money a boy who misses saffron and raisin cookies will give you.”

The two ladies stared at each other, not breaking eye contact for the longest time. Byleth, being the stoic person she was, eventually won that staring contest when the merchant let out a huff and started shoving random sweets into a cloth satchel. Byleth watched her wrinkled, agile fingers pick out a variety of dried fruits and hard candies, as well as scrawl something out on a piece of paper.

“2200 gold for the saffron, what’s in this bag, and the recipe.” She proclaimed. “I’m doing you a favor by picking out stuff a homesick boy would like the best, you see.”

“Deal.” Money and a bag of goodies exchanged between hands. Byleth was still conscious of her lightened wallet, but she told herself that this was all for a good cause as she made her way back to the monastery proper.

It was fortunate that Byleth unwittingly got help when she began her trial by fire and saffron. The merchant’s handwriting wasn’t very neat, so it was hard to decipher while she juggled so many precious ingredients. Two girls from the Blue Lions, Mercedes and Annette, stumbled into the dining hall just as Byleth spilled flour all over her front. After giggling at the mess, the pair of friends offered their aid. Well, it was more like Mercedes lent a helping hand with the actual cooking while Annette stuck to other little tasks. Apparently, the short orange-haired girl was more of a disaster in the kitchen, even though she had boundless enthusiasm for it. Together, the three women fumbled through the recipe for saffron and raisin cookies, and Byleth ended up with something edible. They wouldn’t be winning any beauty contests, with their jagged edges, lumpy topography, and uneven shape, but they tasted alright in her opinion.

With that monumental task out of the way, all Byleth had to do now was give the cookies and other things to Claude. But she couldn’t just hand them to him. The purpose of this whole endeavor was to make a care package like she was a family member from faraway who cared for him. So she had to find a box, carefully place her hard-earned treats inside, and tied the whole thing up with a fancy ribbon, only to suddenly realize that care packages usually contained letters from the gifter. She had heard too many of them read out loud during class time to just ignore that vital part of the present. With a heavy sigh, Byleth sat down at her desk and stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her.

This was stupid. She usually said whatever she needed to say to Claude outright, without hesitation. That way, she could also gauge his reaction. With a care package, she wasn’t sure if Claude was going to read the letter in front of him. She needed to write something heartfelt and not too embarrassing at the same time. She didn’t want to wait until later to find out that she had written the wrong thing.

There was no more time for hesitation. Byleth picked up her quill and started writing.

_ Dear Claude, _

_ I hope this care package finds you well. I know that I’m just your professor, and a poor substitute for your actual family, but I care for your well being all the same. The merchant I bought these from was very eager to help me select things that a boy with a craving for saffron and raisin cookies might like. Her address is written on the back of this letter.  _

_ Sincerely yours, _

_ Byleth _

Her letter was sadly short, but she could think of nothing else to add. If Claude had qualms with its length, he could take it up with her in person. Byleth untied the ribbon to slip the letter into the box, then tied it up again and carried it to the messenger’s office of Garreg Mach. She figured that her gift should be delivered like a real care package, even if it meant Claude wouldn’t get the box of goodies until the next morning.

Once she dropped it off, she found herself strangely agitated for the rest of the day. Byleth shouldn’t be nervous over her simple present. Claude wasn’t going to get upset over a sign of her concern. At least, he wouldn’t be visibly upset. And yet, she could think of little else until the next day, when someone knocked on her door before classes began.

“Teach? You in there?”

“In a minute.” Byleth fumbled around her room, trying to put on something presentable before she faced her student. It took longer than a minute to dress up, but Claude didn’t have an ounce of impatience on his face when she opened her door. He was instead carrying the very box she sent him last night.

“Good morning, Teach!” He chirped cheerily. “You look mightily impassive for someone who sent their own student cookies and sweets!”

Byleth felt something hitch in her throat. “Do you not like it?”

“Nah, I like the thought you put behind it. Although truthfully, I haven’t eaten anything from it yet.”

“... Why not?”

“I just wanted to make sure it came from you, that’s all.” Claude let out a sheepish laugh. “When I first saw your letter, and all those sweets, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Sure, I knew you were going to get me something, but I didn’t expect all  _ this _ .”

He gestured to the box in his arms. Byleth didn’t respond at first, taking the time to mull over his words. She knew that she was known for her taciturn demeanor, but that didn’t mean gifts from her were out of the ordinary. She honestly couldn’t decide whether to feel hurt or not over Claude’s reluctance to accept this. Being the cautious man he was, she bet that he thought all the food inside was poisoned or something like that.

“Yes, the care package is from me.” Byleth ended up replying in her usual unflinching manner.

“Ok, good. I’m not still stuck in a weird dream.” Claude laughed again. “Now that we’re on the same page, do you mind if I come inside to sample what you got for me?”

Byleth wasn’t sure why he needed to be in her room for this. Unless maybe he didn’t want anyone to see what kind of treats he yearned for? That was a good enough reason for her. She stepped aside and let Claude into her room. The man immediately set the box on her desk and began rummaging through the carefully selected goodies.

“Man, these saffron and raisin cookies smell good! Like they were just freshly baked!” He said right before he shoved one in his mouth.

“That’s because they are.” Byleth sat down on her bed to watch him eat. “I made them yesterday.”

That statement almost made Claude choke on his cookie. He still ended up coughing and hacking until he could swallow the bits in his mouth. Once he could breathe normally again, he turned to Byleth with a comically bug-eyed expression. “You made them?!”

“Surprised?” A faint smile crept up on Byleth’s lips. He reacted just as amusingly as she hoped. 

“Well, yeah! You did really well for someone… that made this for the first time. Presumably?”

Byleth nodded. “I had help. The merchant I bought the saffron from gave me her recipe, and Mercedes and Annette assisted me in the kitchen.”

“That explains things.” Claude polished off the rest of his cookie. “No offense, Teach, but you’re not the kind of person that would succeed at this sort of thing on your own. Still, it’s absolutely delicious! Thanks a lot!”

“You’re welcome.” Byleth felt a fuzzy feeling growing in her chest. She never thought that hearing Claude compliment her cooking would have this kind of an effect on her. Sure, he had sung praises to her fighting and commanding skills before, but that was different. For some reason. 

As Claude helped himself to another cookie, a question formed on Byleth’s tongue and wouldn’t stop bothering her until she let it go. “Do my cookies taste like something your mother would make?”

“Hmmmm.” Claude chewed on his morsel thoughtfully before answering. “Nah. Yours is better.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Truth be told, my mom can’t cook at all. She tries, of course, but she just ends up burning water most of the time. I have no idea who she pissed off to be cursed like this.”

“So the cookies…”

“Were made by other chefs.” Claude nodded. “Which is a good thing, both for my stomach back then and the situation right now.”

“Why right now?”

“Because things would get awkward real quickly if you were trying to replace my mom with these cookies.”

“I’m not-” Byleth couldn’t even finish her sentence. She was already very aware of how unusual it was for a teacher to make her student a care package, but to hear Claude touch upon it left her speechless. 

Her flustered reaction made Claude laugh. “Don’t worry! I know you mean well. And no matter how many cookies you send to me, you’ll always be my Teach.”

“Good. Because I’m not making you any more cookies.”

“Oh, come on! I was just joking!”

“And I’m being serious.” Byleth gave him a hard look. “Saffron is too expensive to buy all the time, and I have better things to do than bake cookies. I’m afraid you will have to settle with what you got.”

“Mmm. I suppose that’s fair.” Claude looked at his remaining cookies mournfully. “I got the merchant’s address anyway, so I’m sure I can figure out something. Speaking of which, did she mention where she came from?”

Byleth shook her head. “She was being secretive about it. Like you.”

“Ha! Well, there’s a good reason for that, Teach. I’m surprised that she even gave you a recipe.”

“I think it was because I mentioned that I was shopping for a homesick student.”

“Hm?” He shot Byleth a strange look. She realized that it was the same lonely look that kickstarted this whole ordeal. And like before, it vanished as soon as she deciphered it. “Is that what I look like to you, Teach?”

“... Yes?” Byleth had a feeling there was no right answer in this situation, but she couldn’t leave her response at just that. “There’s nothing wrong in longing for home. Everyone here is miles away from their family. That’s why people get care packages, and why you shouldn’t feel left out because your own family is unable to send anything.”

“I’m not embarrassed that you found me out! It’s just that-”

The ringing of monastery bells interrupted what he was about to say. Rather than looking annoyed, Claude actually seemed relieved. Both he and Byleth stood up at the same time, with only one thing on their minds.

“-We’re going to be late for class.” Claude finished.

“We’re not going to be late if the teacher hasn’t shown up yet.” Byleth motioned at herself. “But before you head to class, please eat an actual breakfast. My cookies aren’t good enough to last you throughout the morning.”

“Yes, mom.” Claude said with a smug smile. Byleth almost kicked him out of her room for that, but instead opted to just give him a gentle shove.

* * *

It ended with another box of cookies.

Only this time, Claude was the one who carried it into the cardinal’s room and slammed it on the table, startling everyone present. Although Byleth wasn’t certain if they were surprised by the noise or by the fact that the duke of House Riegan actually had treats to share with the war council.

“Is that… a care package? Where did you get that?” Hilda leaned forward with sudden interest.

“Where else? I got it from my mom.” Claude rolled his eyes. His verdant gaze landed on Byleth at the last second, causing her to glare back. Even though his exaggerated eye roll was just an inside joke between the two leaders of the army, Byleth didn’t want him to bring up that time she made him a care package. No one else here knew about it, and she intended to keep it that way.

Thankfully, he didn’t say anything about it because his flippant mark did nothing to quell the Golden Deer’s curiosity. In fact, he only incited a flurry of chatter among the students-turned-army-commanders.

“Hold on. You mean that your mom could’ve sent you some food this entire time?!” Hilda exclaimed while slapping the wooden surface of the table. Her outburst caused the room to shake.

“Not really, no.” Claude smirked. “I was only able to get this with Nardel’s help.”

“Still, it’s strange that your mother couldn’t accomplish this during times of peace.” Lorenz said thoughtfully with his chin between his fingers. “Just where does she live…?”

“Wow! These cookies are nothing like I’ve ever seen!” Raphael’s shouts drowned out the other man’s musings. “What are they?”

“These are saffron and raisin cookies.” Claude chuckled as the big man helped himself to the treats. “And these fruits are dried pomegranate seeds, and this candy is like toffee...”

“I didn’t even know you could dry pomegranate seeds.” Lysithea stated while shoving a handful of them into her mouth.

“You must be thinking of Ailell pomegranates. These pomegranates are different, and a lot tastier in my opinion.”

Byleth partook in the merry feast, even though the meeting should be starting. She was familiar with some of the food inside his box, thanks to that fateful day, but it still held many surprises for her. The saffron and raisin cookies in particular were a lot better than her own attempts all those years ago.

As much as she liked the treats, what pleased her more was how well Claude’s care package was received among his friends. No one cared where Claude’s mom got all these exotic items, nor how Claude knew of them. They just devoured his shared treats with relish. With such a warm reception, maybe Claude’s dream wasn’t as far out of reach as he thought.

And she also got to see Claude smile earnestly too. He must be thinking the same thing as her. Their sparkling eyes met for a moment before Byleth turned back to the cookie in her hands.

A late start to the war council meant that the war council ended late. By its end, everyone was tired and eager to leave the chambers behind them. Claude and Byleth lingered a little bit longer, not only to clean up the mess caused by the former’s care package, but also to spend some alone time together. The two of them sat on the table, next to the box and each other, with Claude's legs swinging in the air and Byleth's hands in her lap. They could close the tantalizing gap between them, as their bonds had upgraded from a mere student-teacher relationship a while ago, but for now, they were content with stewing in the other person's presence.

“I’m surprised you brought in treats from your mother.” Byleth remarked, then remembered something he told her five years ago. “... She didn’t make any of this, did she?”

“Haha. No. She bought them. If she actually made them, I would’ve saved them for my poisons instead.” Claude laughed before continuing on in a more serious tone. “Why is it so surprising that I wanted to repay my friends for all of their surplus treats?”

“Because doing so might reveal more than you intended? That you’re not actually from around here?”

Byleth knew that Claude knew that she was aware of his origins, to some degree, yet he still recoiled a bit when he heard it mentioned out loud. That shock quickly faded into his usual easygoing smile that Byleth knew wasn’t completely genuine.

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Food is the great unifier, you know? If this didn’t work, then how are my other plans supposed to work?”

Byleth shrugged. She wasn't the kind of person that would have a good answer to that question, or any other hypotheticals really. Out of this peculiar couple, Claude was the man with big dreams. She was perfectly content to let him wax poetics about his ambitions and such while Byleth just tried to make sure everyone made it in out of fights in one piece. 

Although that didn’t mean she didn’t have other concerns on her mind. Her piercing cyan eyes drifted to the mostly empty box. “I hope that this care package wasn’t just another pawn for your schemes. Your mother loves you, to risk sending this from wherever she is.”

“You really still don’t know where I’m from, huh?” Claude chuckled. “But yeah. I know how much she loves me. Even though you bake better cookies than her, she can write a letter that really makes your eyes water.”

“Am I hearing this right? The archduke of the Alliance is finally admitting that he’s homesick?”

“Hey, no need to take that tone with me!” Instead of putting him on the defensive, Byleth’s jokes just made Claude laugh louder. “I was perfectly willing to admit that I was homesick from  _ your _ care package.”

“No you weren’t.”

“Yes I was.”

“Claude, you have to remember that five years ago was like yesterday for me. So I can recall those days better than you.” Byleth held her chin up defiantly.

Her confidence did nothing to diminish Claude’s smile. In fact, his eyes glimmered all the more earnestly. “Sure, fine. I know better than to argue with you when you believe in something.”

To prove it, he placed a hand in her lap and intertwined his fingers with her own. The smile he wore on his face was the real deal this time. Byleth could tell by the way his eyes shone and how something warm grew in her chest.

In order to distract herself from her rising blush, Byleth reached into the box to grab another cookie, only to grab at nothing. She was sure there was still one left in here. Maybe she was mistaken. Feeling Claude’s eyes scrutinizing her actions, she casually retracted her hands and gripped his hands that were still on her lap.

“... Claude?”

“Yeah, Teach?”

“I know back then, you enjoyed my cookies. But did they remind you of home?”

He didn’t have an answer for her right away. A contemplative expression crossed his face as he dwelled on memories of the past. Of brighter days, when the skies were still blue and Garreg Mach was filled with students instead of soldiers. That look was reminiscent of the homesick look Byleth sometimes saw, back then, but this was one that saffron and raisin cookies couldn’t never hope to fix.

“Yes… and no.” He finally said.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Well, it certainly tastes like the cookies of my childhood. But it’s not the exact recipe, so it doesn’t feel completely home-y, you know?”

That made sense, but it still stung to hear the truth. Byleth wasn’t sure what compelled her to ask this question in the first place. Perhaps she felt like she could get a more honest reply from him, now that he had opened up to him quite a bit more.

“But I still really enjoyed it. You know why? Because those cookies were baked with the love of Garreg Mach, which has become another home of mine. After all, it has Hilda, Marianne, Raphael, Ignatz, Leonie, Lysithea, and yes, even Lorenz. And,” He placed a hand on Byleth’s, “It has you.”

If her heart could beat, it would be fluttering like crazy by now. Byleth stared into his green eyes, her breath stolen by his thoughtful words.

“With family like all of you guys, being here makes me less lonely. So I guess you can say that your cookies remind me of everything we shared, and the peace I hope to bring back someday, moreso than my homeland. Those kinds of feelings are just as good as the comforts of home, don’t you think?”

“Yes. I agree.” Byleth murmured. “I never had much of a home before coming here, but now, our precious memories keep me going through these terrible times.”

Those precious memories, and you, Byleth silently said to herself. Her addendum made her blush more furious as Claude’s next words inadvertently replied to her private thoughts.

“Same here.” He took a step towards her. “But you know, my feelings for Garreg Mach wouldn’t be the same without you. You’re the one who baked those cookies for me, after all.”

His face was getting dangerously close to hers. It didn’t freak her out to be so intimate, as they've been this close many times before, but she still felt her cheeks burning like an oven. She wouldn’t mind it at all if he… shoved a cookie into her mouth?

She sputtered as she reflexively bit down on the sweet treat. “Claude!”

“What? You didn’t think I’d take the last one from right under your nose, did you?” He laughed as he backed off from her flailing hands.

“But you did! How else did it get in my mouth?” Byleth’s indignation fell flat. She didn’t know whether to punch this man or laugh with him.

“That might be a mystery that can never be solved.” Claude winked at her. “For now, I can at least help you wipe those crumbs off your mouth. Here.”

His soft fingertips brushed around her lips, wiping off crumbs like he said he would. Yet, Byleth felt a little disappointed by his feeble touch. As if sensing her unspoken desires, those fingers quickly moved to the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss that tasted like saffron, raisins, and their wonderful home.

**Author's Note:**

> Saffron and raisin cookies are a real thing! The website I referred to calls them shirini keshmeshi, or Persian raisin cookies. And, like the merchant, you can make them without the saffron, although I bet Claude prefers them with it due to his wealthy background lol.


End file.
